


The Connection Between Us

by MischiefHowl



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, M/M, Spoilers for Ace Chemicals, Spoilers for S05E07
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-11-04 11:49:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17897870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MischiefHowl/pseuds/MischiefHowl
Summary: Jeremiah was hit multiple times in the head, with each hit, his sanity returns. Just for a moment which was all he needed.





	The Connection Between Us

**Author's Note:**

> Just an extended scene from the newest episode: Ace Chemicals. I wanted Jeremiah going sane for at least a minute so here we are.

"Can you feel it? The connection between us?!" 

Bruce **hit**.

"You do-"

**Another hit**.

"Don't you-"

He was hit again.

"You feel it" His voice cracked, became softer as he was hit again.

"Tell me you feel it" He was hit again, it hurt.. why was Bruce hurting him?

Bruce was on top of him, hitting him in the face, in the head, over and over.. he leaned over, eyes dark with hatred. "You mean _nothing_ to me"

Jeremiah looked up at Bruce with shock and hurt, eyes looking at the other. "Wh-"

He was hit again which caused him to cry out in pain. "Why-" His mouth tasted metallic, everything hurt.. he hurt bad. Jeremiah was seeing stars as he looked around and at Bruce. "Why a-are you hurting me, Bruce? Wh-what'd I do?"

Bruce's fist stalled, was he serious? Was he trying to act like who he was before? It only made him want to beat his face in more.. only made him want to kill him. The morals he had and the lives Jeremiah took, it felt simpler to just kill him.

"Bruce.. Bruce" His eyes shown something else, something he hadn't seen in months. They were mad and nothing like the hazel-green eyes Bruce looked at. No.. these were still the unnatural near white color but they weren't mad, they were scared and worst of all tearing up. The voice was not monotone, not crazy.. it was Jeremiah's once timid voice.

"Don't do that! Don't you dare pretend to be him! You share his face but he's dead" Bruce held back tears that threatened to fall as they formed. "You are nothing to me!"

"Bruce.. please" Jeremiah tried to plead but was only hit again, blood was spat out from his split lip. What had he done to deserve this? He wanted to run from his insane friend.. weren't they just at the Graveyard? "Bruce please.. yo-you-- please.. where are we? W-what hap-happened?" He tried to shield his face, until he saw the purple gloves.. when did he change? "Wh-when did I change cloths?" 

Jeremiah was shaking, Bruce felt his body under him shivering. The man was whimpering, bleeding under him as he looked at his gloves and sleeves as if he just realized what he was wearing. "Jeremiah.. stop trying to be like this!" He wanted to drown the damned man in the chemicals below him.. no one would know. _He'd always know though_.. "Jeremiah, why are you trying this now?!"

"Tr-Trying what Bruce? Pl-please get off me. Please" Jeremiah was begging, terrified of the darker haired male on him. What has happened? There was so much hatred and hurt, what'd he do? God what'd he do?! "Bruce.. wh-what did I do..?"

Bruce had to stop his fist coming down with his other hand. "What did you do!!? What Didn't you do!? You killed people with your bombs, you killed more digging an insane tunnel to the mainland, you probably killed more when you blew up the bridges! You killed what looked like my parents and wanted to kill Jim and Lee! I left so much out.. you damn monster! You try to act like you didn't do any of that.. funny.."

"... No..." Jeremiah whispered. All the facts were thrown upon him and how he wanted this all just to be some joke. He couldn't have done that.. no. "No, I didn't do it.. I didn't. Jerome had to have--" Another hit and he almost swore he heard something crack. He screamed in pain.

"Liar! You used me! I **funded** your **murder** spree!"

"My.. my project? No, Bruce." He couldn't talk as much. It hurt to much. He began to cry, there was nothing else. "Jerome.." He whimpered, holding himself best he could, sobbing. Jerome sprayed him with the insanity gas.. what did that make him do? All of what Bruce said had to be true.. Jeremiah felt sick. "I did that.. my god, Bruce.. what have I done?"

Bruce couldn't understand and was taken back when the other man broke down, sobbing under him, looking like he had the hiccups when he tried to breathe, the insane man was weeping and holding himself like a child and Bruce couldn't help but cry to, tears falling.

Bruce had hit him in the head so many times, maybe, just maybe.. "Jeremiah? Please tell me this is you and you aren't pretending"

Jeremiah would say anything, do anything at this point if Bruce would let him speak. "I am me but I can't say I'll be me for long. Bruce, what I've done.. it's unforgivable. I can't tell you how sorry I am, no amount of apology earns forgiveness. What I've done.. how many lives I've taken." He began to remember pieces. And it hurt him more. "Ecco.. my dear sweet Ecco" He remembered what she had done to herself for his devotion. "Bruce.. y- Alfred!"

"He's safe, we got out."

"I.. I brought back your parents. I blamed you for their deaths, I wanted to be.. the star of the show. I'm a monster. I'd never hurt Thomas or Martha, never. I loved them as much as I loved you, Bruce." He held himself tighter. "Jerome ruined it for me.. ruined everything because the bastard knew." He thought it over. Jerome wanted his brother miserable.. he could almost hear his laughter echoing in his head, mocking him. "Bruce.. I can't stop. I won't stop. I'm insane and like all insane dogs, they must be put down"  
"No. We can help you, we can reverse the insanity"

"And let me live with all the destruction, Bruce? No! Nonono! I can't live with that!"

Bruce almost saw the red hair under the black dye, almost saw the hazel-green eyes that stared up at Bruce tearily.. the engineer he once was. "I am connected to you, I am your brother.. you will hear that. But to your madness? I will never be connected to it or think of it as anymore than evil."

"Bruce." Jeremiah wanted to say more, removing one glove from his hand to show the skin underneath, he touched Bruce's cheek, wiping away tears. "It's coming back. I feel it taking over, like dark muck consuming my mind." He felt the warmth of Bruce's face, trying to keep it in his memory. His Bruce felt the connection.. Bruce was his brother, no, he was something more. "Find Ecco, help her. Tell her it's an order from her true friend.." He grabbed Bruce and pulled him to whisper something in his ear. Something even the insane Ecco will understand as Jeremiah's order, the code he told no one. "She can be saved. She'd an innocent that follows orders, she devoted her life to me.. but now.. please Bruce, help her for me." Jeremiah couldn't be saved, he wouldn't let Ecco follow him to her own death.

He let Bruce go, sighing. "Bruce.." 

And his head hit against Bruce's forehead, sending the other back as Jeremiah slowly stood up almost like a puppet on a string, no sanity left in his eyes and the tears and quivering seemed to have been consumed by the madness. "Why don't you understand?!" He limped towards Bruce, the engineer was gone, consumed by Jerome's madness.

Jeremiah grabbed Bruce and slammed him against the railing after giving him a few hits that nearly knocked the air out of his lungs, eyes burning into Bruce's with a plea. " **I'm the answer to your life's question!** " He yelled in Bruce's face.

He hit Bruce hard in the gut again, the railing loosing, Bruce felt it, Jeremiah didn't notice. It was a choice and it hurt to think of a choice he had to make. "Without me you're just a joke-" Jeremiah held Bruce so tight, he felt like the other would break his collarbone as the man searched Bruce's face, pain on his features when he couldn't find what he wanted on Bruce's face.

"Without a punchline" Jeremiah came in with a fist, Bruce thought fast and got out of the way. Jeremiah missing and with his weight against the loose railing, it gave way and the man grabbed the other part of the broken railing which held on by a rusty screw, holding on for dear life as the green chemicals bubbled below. "Bruce..." He looks at the other, holding on and trying to reach out. "Help me.. please it's me" His words tried to turn into the pleading engineer Bruce knew to well.

Bruce reached out his hand but pulled away before the madman could grab hold. "Jeremiah forgive me" He knew his engineer and this monster pulled off a sad pale imitation of him.   
Jeremiah roared at the other in rage and betrayal and the screw broke loose, sending him down. Hitting and disappearing beneath the chemicals with a **splash**.

Bruce walked towards the edge, partly expecting the madman to rise from the green like a monster, ready to attack Bruce for his betrayal. After a few seconds, his eyes narrowed. After months, Jeremiah Valeska, the terror of Gotham, was finished.

\---

Bruce, with the help of others, carefully dragged the body out.. it was nothing like Jeremiah. And when the corpse gasped and hacked up green chemicals, all was shocked that he was alive..

The hospital confirmed he was indeed alive, but the chances of him ever waking up was slim to none. Jeremiah was finished and Bruce felt happy that he won't take any more lives, but also saddened that he couldn't have saved him even if he tried. Jerome ruined his brother's life.. 

"Goodnight Jeremiah" He whispered, touching the bandaged forehead and left. Jim had news about the river and Bruce had to see what has happened.. but also he had to track down Ecco. He couldn't save Jeremiah but maybe he can save her.


End file.
